Well we have already detailed ASUS’s upcoming Z97 motherboards from their Republic of Gamers and TUF Series so that leaves us with the Legacy line. This includes the long running Deluxe Series and Workstation (WS) motherboards.
ASUS’s Legacy lineup is aimed at pretty much all users from performance to gamers to enthusiasts. These motherboards will have features like Intel Ethernet, LAN Guard, DIGI+ Power Control, Turbo App, Turbo LAN, Crystal Sound 2, and HomeCloud. These boards also have a new interesting design scheme. The Legacy lineup is made up of the following motherboards.
– ASUS Z97-WS
– ASUS Z97-Deluxe
– ASUS Z97I-Plus
– ASUS Z97-Pro
– ASUS Z97-A
ASUS Z97-WS
ASUS’s workstation offering is the Z97-WS. It features a 8 phase DIGI+ VRM with high quality components. The CPU sockets is actually powered by dual 8pin connectors to give the CPU as much juice as possible. For storage there are four SATA 6GB/s ports, two SATA Express ports and a USB 3.0 header. Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, a single PCI-Express 3.0 x4 slot, three PCI-Express 3.0 x1 slots and an M.2 interface. There is an additional 6pin connector towards the top PCI-Express slot for extra power. The board also features power on / off buttons and dual debug LEDs.
ASUS Z97-Deluxe
The next board is the flagship board in the Legacy lineup, it is the Z97-Deluxe. The board will feature a powerful 12 phase DIGI+ VRM that has both TPU and EPU technology support. For expansion you have three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, four PCI-Express 3.0 x1 slots and an M.2 interface. Storage options include six SATA 6GB/s ports and a single SATA Express port. ASUS has added their Crystal Sound 2 chip to the board for high quality audio output. ASUS has gone with a new design for their legacy boards with a black PCB with dark gold heatsinks and a circular heatsink on on the PCH. This design scheme will be used on all legacy boards.
ASUS Z97I-Plus
This is the first Z97 Mini-ITX motherboard that we have seen. The Z97I-Plus will feature a 6 phase DIGI+ VRM with quality components. Like all Mini-ITX motherboards you have a single PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot for discrete graphics solutions. Storage includes four SATA 6GB/s ports and you have a USB 3.0 header. A WiFi module can be spotted and two DDR3 DIMM slots.
ASUS Z97-Pro
The Z97-Pro is more of the performance offering in the Legacy series. It features a 10 phase DIGI+ VRM with quality components. Storage here includes six SATA 6GB/s ports and a SATA Express port. For expansion you have three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, four PCI-Express 3.0 x1 slots and a M.2 interface. It looks like there is a spot for a WiFi or mPCIe combo card on this board. The board will also feature ASUS’s Crystal Sound 2 audio chip.
ASUS Z97-A
The last board in the Z97 Legacy lineup is the Z97-A, which is the more budget-minded board. The board is powered by an 8 phase DIGI+ VRM with quality components. Storage includes four SATA 6GB/s ports and a single SATA Express port. Expansion will include three PCI-Express 3.0 slots, two PCI-Express 3.0 x1 slots and an M.2 interface. The board will also feature the Crystal Sound 2 audio chip.
Stay tuned for more information on these motherboards as we get closer to the launch date!
Source: WCCFTech | News Archive
